Event for new iShuttle routes is Tuesday

IRVINE — City and transportation officials plan to launch two new public transportation routes that connect businesses and shopping destinations with a special event on Tuesday.

The event will be hosted by the Irvine City Council and representatives from Metrolink, Amtrak and the Orange County Transportation Authority at 4:30 p.m. at the Irvine Station, 15215 Barranca Parkway.

Commuters will be able to ride the two new iShuttle routes connecting the Irvine Station to the Irvine Business Complex, via Route C, and to the Irvine Spectrum, via Route D, beginning Oct. 10.

"Orange County residents are not used taking public transportation, so it takes time to build ridership and also to educate the public," Mayor Sukhee Kang said. "I strongly believe in looking at the long-range transit vision. [The iShuttle] has been a good investment in building a transportation system for the future."

Funding for the new routes will come from the OCTA, which agreed last year to provide 90% of the iShuttle operations and maintenance for the next 30 years, and in partnership with private shuttle operators Capitol Group and Spectrumotion.

The annual ridership of the iShuttle was 78,003 in 2009 and 87,640 in 2010.